Suspect in Colts' Edwin Jackson's death has been charged in federal court

Indianapolis Colts player Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver were killed on Feb. 4, 2018, by a motorist believed to be driving drunk. The suspect's legal status has reignited debate over immigration by Donald Trump and others.
Dwight Adams/IndyStar

Manuel Orrego-Savala is being held after his truck struck and killed a Colts player and an Uber driver on I-70 on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018.(Photo11: Provided by Indiana State Police)

Manuel Orrego-Savala, of Guatemala was charged in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien on Tuesday. Authorities say he has been deported twice.

“In April, Attorney General (Jeff) Sessions directed all federal prosecutors to prioritize charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present," U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said in a statement.

"Following the rule of law is the foundation of our American democracy, and my office is committed to fulfilling the Attorney General’s directive.”

After Orrego-Savala's arrest, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent began reviewing his file, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint detailed Orrego-Savala's numerous aliases, including the name given at the scene of the crash, Alex Cabrera. His other aliases include variations on the spelling of Orrego-Savala.

The agent confirmed Orrego-Savala's identity by submitting his fingerprints into a federal database, the complaint says.

Orrego-Savala is believed to have entered the country illegally on or around July 1, 2004, according to ICE spokesperson Nicole Alberico. He was convicted of driving under the influence in Redwood City, Calif., in 2005, Alberico said.

In October 2006, he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Francisco and deported in January 2007, according to the complaint.

A little more than two years later, in March 2009, he was again arrested in San Francisco and then deported that May.

It's still unclear when he re-entered the U.S. or traveled to Indiana.

Boone County officials confirmed Tuesday that last year Orrego-Savala, under the name Alex Cabrera-Gonsales, had been charged with and pleaded guilty to driving without ever having received a license. The sheriff's office did not report him to ICE at that time because they were not legally required to do so for that offense, according to a news release.

Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said Tuesday that his office would work with Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry's office to determine Cabrera-Gonsales' true identity, after which one or both offices will explore filing additional charges, which could include perjury, forgery and identity deception.

If convicted of the new federal charges, Orrego-Savala faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to Minkler's office.

Orrego-Savala will remain in custody while Indiana State Police and the Marion County prosecutor's office continues their investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. His federal charges will remain pending until the local cases have concluded.

Orrego-Savala is next scheduled to appear in Marion Superior Court on Wednesday morning for an initial hearing. As of Tuesday evening, he had not been formally charged by local prosecutors.